GIRLS TEAM LAST YEAR: Last year the Trojans won the O-K Silver conference championship in dramatic fashion by taking first place in the final conference meet. Senior Valerie Pollock took first place in that meet while freshman teammate Pehyton Beardsley was a very close second. Belding’s Mackenzie Zahm led the pack late in the race, but Pollock and Beardsley overtook her at the last moment.

2025 GIRLS OUTLOOK: The Trojans should be in good shape to defend their conference title with six girls back from last year’s squad. The top returner is Beardsley, who ran in the 19-minute range last year, finished second individually in the overall conference standings and is a candidate to win top honors this fall as a sophomore. Junior Zoe German also returns after running in the 20-minute range and earning All-Conference honors last season. Sophomore Brynley Merkins showed a lot of promise last year, running in the low 21-minute range, and could become a force on the team. Juniors Gen Franklin and Sophie Christopher and senior Aubrey DeLaBrena also return and will add depth to the roster as they work to improve their times. Freshman Ansley Merkins is new to the team and could be a big asset.

COACH QUOTE ABOUT GIRLS TEAM: “The girls have been working hard this summer to build a competitive team. We have the talent and the depth this season to do that. I am looking forward to seeing how far they will go.” – Randy Johnson

BOYS TEAM LAST YEAR: Senior Vincent Pollack was the star of the show for the Trojan boys, winning the overall individual O-K Silver conference title and also winning the individual championship at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association City Meet. As a team, the Trojans finished sixth in the conference standings as several younger runners worked to improve their times.

2025 BOYS OUTLOOK: The Trojans have a numbers issue, starting the season with only four runners. The good news is that three of them were on the team last year and showed promise and improvement. The top returner is senior Landon Johnson, who showed his potential by finishing in eighth place out of 54 runners in the final conference race last year, with a time in the 17-minute range. He has been working hard this summer and could be a contender for top conference honors this season. Sophomore Dylan Winskas also showed his potential by finishing 21st in the final conference race, but might be slowed early in the season due to a lingering injury. Senior Josh Vanstelle showed promise last year and will be a big piece of the puzzle this season. The lone newcomer is sophomore Christian Pavlige, who was a track standout in the spring and has decided to give cross country a try. His raw talent could make a big difference for Fruitport.

COACH QUOTE ABOUT BOYS TEAM: “Our team goal is to increase the quality and numbers of people on the team.” – Randy Johnson

OPENING DAY: Both the girls and boys teams will open the season on Saturday at the Muskegon Catholic Central Invitational.